The sacred union of Siegfried and Brünnhilde is threatened by three scheming siblings, one of whom was sired by Alberich to take possession of the ring. Driven by greed, their actions inevitably lead to chaos and destruction, until Brünnhilde—wise, pure of heart, heroic—steps forward to return the universe to its natural order in an act of self-sacrifice.
Leading a 2007 concert performance of this towering masterpiece, conductor Donald Runnicles proved he is “clearly among the most insightful, potent Wagnerians of his day” (Sunday Times of London). “His account was of spectacular brilliance and high, churning intensity.” London's The Independent called Runnicles “a seasoned Wagnerite” whose “sense of pace, paragraphing and climax was nigh on perfect.”
Siegfried gives Brünnhilde the ring as a token of their union and sets off for new adventures. He meets the self-serving siblings Gunther and Gutrune and their half-brother Hagen, the son of Alberich. Seeking the ring, Hagen uses a potion to trick Siegfried into abandoning Brünnhilde, who plots revenge. Siegfried is murdered, and Brünnhilde, understanding too late the deception, builds him a funeral pyre. As she strides into the fire, the flames rise to destroy Valhalla, ending the rule of the gods and returning the ring to its natural home in the Rhine.
Performances are sold only as a part of a 4-opera cycle except the production-premiere peformance (Sunday, June 5, 1pm). Click here to see cycle dates and schedules. Click here to purchase single tickets to the June 5th performance.
NEW PRODUCTION
Approximate running time: 5 hours, 15 minutes with two intermissions
Sung in German with English supertitles
OperaVision, high-definition video projection screens, will be featured on the balcony level for each performance of every cycle. Learn more
